Over the weekend, kids and families got an introduction into geology, archeology, and other cool science while at the Copper Country Gem and Mineral Show. Dr. Nathalie Brandis with the Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club says the show had some fun kids’ activities, and a drawing for a plush dinosaur. She adds that kids this year enjoyed learning about fossils during the annual lecture program, too.
So when I’m walking along the beach, I’m looking for coral fossils. And we don’t have any limestone around here, not like the lower peninsula. The lower peninsula is very fossil-rich. But now and then, you might find a little fossil coral. Especially the solitary coral, called rugose. They look like little horns. And you might find those on the beach. A little beat up, because they’ve been on the beach or in glaciers. But you can still find them. – Nahtalie Brandis, member, Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club
She adds that the rugose coral fossils you can find in the upper peninsula likely come from James Bay or Hudson Bay and were brought to the region by glaciers. The Laurentide ice sheet carved volcanic rock and other material to form the Great Lakes, and our great state. The volcanic formations that created the Keweenaw Peninsula out of the midcontinental rift left behind a treasure trove of rocks, minerals, and gems. Visit the A.E. Seaman mineral museum in Houghton to learn more about the region’s geology, or learn more about the Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club. More information can be found online.
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